Weapons destruction marks
path
to Brcko Demilitarisation
By CPO Timothy Adams
First published in
SFOR Informer #76, December 8, 1999
Sarajevo - Hundreds of automatic rifles, mortars, machine guns,
shotguns, rocket propelled grenades, and bazookas from disbanded Federation
units were crushed by a T-55 tank or cut into useless pieces January
5, in another significant step towards fulfilling the directives given
by Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in September 1999.
U.S. Col. Wallace Matteson, chief of the Joint Military
Commission,  responsible
for co-operation between the Federation Army and the Republika Srpska
Army represented the SFOR, and his staff verified the actual numbers of
each type of weapon destroyed. The Federation Army was represented by
Brig.Gen. Nuhanovic and the Republika Srpska was represented by Lt. Col.
Sekula Pandzic.
Wednesday's destruction totalled 2,500 pieces of various
armaments. More Entity Armed Forces weapons are scheduled to be destroyed
Jan. 12 and 17.
 Weapon
disposal is one of three components in the demilitarisation of the Brcko
District. The Federation and Republika Srpska Armies have each disbanded
the equivalent of one brigade and one battalion, fulfilling another component
of demilitarisation. The remaining Republika Srpska units in the Brcko
District are now in the process of relocating to other places approved
by SFOR, which will fulfil the third and last component of demilitarisation.
The area of Brcko was highly contested and was the only
territorial issue left unresolved in the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement.
After a great deal of discussion,  co-operation
and planning by Entity Armed Forces leaders and SFOR, Brcko is now well
along the path to being governed jointly by Serbs and the Muslim-Croat
federation.
Col. Matteson said, "The demilitarisation is on track
and it is going as scheduled."
Related link:
Nations of SFOR: US
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